Autostrada Motore, Inc. has brought in Ferrari and Maserati into the country as it opened its dealership showroom at 32nd & 4th Crescent Park West, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The ribbon cutting ceremonies, led by Mr. Wellington C. Soong, chairman and president of Autostrada Motore, Inc. formally made these italian supercars available to the Philippine market.
Marc Soong, Executive Director for Ferrari; Simon Inglefield, Head of Region for Ferrari Asia Pacific Other Countries; Herbert Appleroth, President and CEO of Ferrari Asia Pacific; Wellington Soong, Chair and President of Autostrada Motore, Inc.; Gaetano Marino, Regional Sales Director for South East Asia Pacific of Maserati; and Jason Soong, Executive Director for Maserati
The Ferrari 458 Italia unites functionality and style and assures optimal performance plus visual impact while continuing the classic Maranello 8-cylinder engine tradition but with outstanding fuel consumption and emission levels.
The Maserati Granturismo MC Stradale on the other hand is regarded as the first street-legal Maserati car, being the first to be supplied with carbon-ceramic brakes and advanced electronics that minimize gearshift. It is also the company’s first model to top 300 km/h and the first road-going car to sport a dedicated Race mode.
Apart from these new models, the entire range will also be available as imported by Autostrada Motore, Inc. Drop by their showroom and drool over these beauties for yourself.
Epson’s product design has again been recognized by the highly regarded iF Product Design Awards 2012 at the official awards ceremony held in Munich, Germany last February 10. Products across Epson’s range were selected for this year’s award, including its business projectors; label, receipt, airline boarding pass, retail and photo printers. These Epson products now carry the coveted iF logo.
The Epson iF Design Award Winners are:
Epson LabelWorks LW-300 / 400 Label Printer
Epson ME Office 535
Epson EB-W02 / W12 Projectors
Epson Stylus Pro R3000 Photo Printer
Epson TM-L500A Boarding Pass and Baggage Tag Printer
Epson TM-H Series Receipt Printer with Cheque-Clearing Function
Established in 1953, the iF (International Forum) product design award is today among the most important awards for innovative product design. The Award attracts thousands of entries from various nations, and is judged by renowned experts.
Hideto Nakamura, Country Manager of Epson Philippines Corporation (EPC) commented, “Epson products are not only characterized by precision engineering and elegant style. Our global company goes the extra mile to emphasize usability based on scientific understanding of actual user situations. In every Epson product, we incorporate measures to reduce environmental impact and improve user flexibility through smart, compact designs. We are glad to receive the good news on the global accolade for Epson products. The iF Award certifies the depth and consistency of design excellence Epson offers to our customers.”
The Epson TM-H Series Receipt Printer with Cheque-Clearing Function, the Epson ME Office 535, the Epson Stylus Pro R3000 photo printer and the EB-W12 projector are already available in the Philippines. The Epson LabelWorks LW-300 / 400 Label Printer and the Epson TM-L500A Boarding Pass & Baggage Tag Printer will also be launched in the Philippines within the first half of 2012.
Tascam is celebrated in the professional audio industry for having provided the world with high-quality audio recording equipment for the past three decades. So when the company made the iM2 digital recorder that attaches to iOS devices, we knew it wasn’t just a toy. The iM2 turns an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a high-quality stereo recorder, providing it with a pair of condenser microphones that are of the same class as Tascam’s best-selling DR-series recorders. The gadget plugs into the dock connector of your Apple device and allows you to record stereo CD quality (44.1kHz PCM) wave files.
The iM2 works well with pretty much every recording app including your device’s video camera, which means you can take videos with hi-definition stereo sound. The microphone level is adjustable using a knob on the side of the unit so you can record at the right volume whether the source is soft or loud. It can handle up to 125dB sound levels and contains a stereo limiter for taming sudden loud sounds, which means that you can capture even the loudest concerts without distortion. The iM2 has its own microphone preamp and analog-to-digital converter that is way better than what comes with your iOS device, so your recordings will have lower noise and superior sonic clarity.
The twin microphones are adjustable over 180 degrees so you can point them to a desired subject, which adds the needed flexibility in many situations such as recording interviews and podcasts. It’s powered through the dock connector so there’s no need for batteries or charging, and it even includes a USB input so that you can charge your iOS device while the iM2 is attached. The Tascam iM2 is at its best when partnered with its accompanying PCM recording app that has similar controls as Tascam’s range of pro-class audio recorders. The iM2 sells for USD $79.99 (approximately Php 3,360).
There have been Portal gun replicas made in the past, but most of those were one-off affairs, only fit to be held by people who have intolerable amounts of money. But now figure maker NECA is making a limited production of the iconic Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device that you can buy and claim as your own. The replica will start making its way to toy stores in April, though we’re pretty sure it’s only going to show up in the US and other territories. The replica is has both orange and blue LED lights and have the sounds to go with it and is powered by 3 C batteries. Best part is that it’s not going to cost an arm and a leg – NECA says it’ll be available for less than 200 in the US, though no solid price have been made available. All that’s left now is making your own GLaDOS potato fig to go with it.
Finally we have a date for the big iPad 3 unveil – March 7 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. And while we won’t be able to cover it live (living thousands of miles away does that) we’ll still be able to give you guys what we think of it through the power of livestreams and blogs. We can finally find out which one of the iPad 3 rumors were true and which one were figments of an overactive imagination.
Audio-Technica is a well known and respected brand in the world of professional and consumer audio products for their industry-standard microphones, headphones, and wireless systems. Although the company offers a lot of affordable means to enjoy stellar sound quality, here are some headphones that will empty your wallets.
First on list is the Audio-Technica ATH-W3000ANV. These beautifully designed closed-back dynamic headphones are built for the most critical of audiophiles. It features a traditional Echizen lacquer-finished housing made from quality Hokkaido Asada Cherry hardwood, while its driver unit includes high magnetic Permedeur material to create a low distortion magnetic circuit. These cans deliver a delicate and detailed performance through its super high quality OFC-7N Bobbin-wound voice coil, while its large 53mm speaker drivers with a strong magnet enable a spectacular wide range reproduction of sound and a 5 – 42,000Hz frequency response. Its lightweight magnesium frame suppresses unnecessary vibration during use, while its made-in-Spain lambskin ear pads guarantee the utmost comfort for long listening sessions. Yes, that all sounds spectacular, but these headphones can only be had for a very steep price.
Audio-Technica ATH-W3000ANV
Php 67,499.00
Next on the list are the ATH-PRO500MK2 closed-back headphones, which are an ideal tool for professional DJs. These cans sports a shock resistant elastomer frame and a hand grip design for DJ play, as well as a folding design for compact storage and portability. The ear pads have a 50/90 degree swiveling capability that makes it ideal for the monitoring needs of DJs. Packing high performance 53mm speaker drivers, these headphones also sport a screw-on detachable 3.0m coiled cord, while 2 types of cables are included for different usages. Delivering a wide frequency response and the proper impedance needed for DJ use, music listeners of all types will surely enjoy these headphones as well, and they can be purchased in either red or black.
Audio-Technica ATH-PRO500MK2
Php 10,999.00
Lastly, we have the popular ATH-M50s/LE closed-back dynamic headphones that are ideal for professional audio mixing and mastering due to its detail and accurate and flat reproduction of sound. To achieve this, they feature proprietary 45mm large-aperture speaker drivers with neodymium magnet systems. These headphones also sport a collapsible design to help with portability and storage, a specially designed 6.3mm gold-plated wooden plug with the Audio-Technica 50th Anniversary logo, and cushioned ear cups to ensure comfort during long hours of use.
First-timer Michelle Callanta-Toledo in the “Chandelier Pose” [digital artwork by Benjamin Arnold
Now all of this may seem intimidating especially since you’re suspended in the air with what is still essentially a piece of cloth (despite its amazing strength as an AntiGravity Hammock can hold up to 1000lbs.), but there is something very alluring and beautiful about how the poses look and are executed. (Think singer Pink’s performance at the Grammy’s). It’s almost reminiscent of how you used to play on the monkey bars and you’d flip over bravely, knowing you wouldn’t break your neck (and still look really cool doing it). Perhaps the apprehensions come with age. In my case, though there was the anxiety of falling off (if only a short distance off the floor) I was more afraid of looking completely ungraceful and utterly foolish. But if you’re determined, and if you listen carefully to your instructor, you’ll find yourself defying the very laws of gravity and strengthening your very core as well.
Find out more about AntiGravity Yoga in our March issue out in stores now.
Not all releases in this year’s MWC are about phones. Partnerships about backend services are just as important as the latest quad-core smartphone. Today Globe has announced that it has partnered with RIM to deliver integrated app billing to purchases made using the BlackBerry App World. The new service will now allow users to buy apps and charge them to their postpaid or prepaid account. Previously, the only way to buy apps from the BlackBerry App World was to use a credit card, something that not all pinoys posses. The new service is expected to roll out in the second quarter of 2012.
“Integrated billing will make it easier than ever for our subscribers to purchase apps for their BlackBerry smartphones,” said Peter Bithos, Globe Senior Advisor for Consumer Business. “Through the secure billing system interface, we are able to provide our subscribers a convenient and worry-free way to purchase premium content on BlackBerry App World without the need for a credit card or direct cash payments. The cost of apps purchased from the app store will be charged to their postpaid phone bill or from their prepaid credits. We are delighted to enable this new level of flexibility and convenience in purchasing BlackBerry apps for our customers.”
The Roland SPD-SX is currently the company’s most advanced sampling percussion pad. This piece of gear is an exceptionally flexible tool for music production that includes a backlit LCD screen and 9 highly responsive velocity-sensitive pads (two of which are triggered on the edge of the unit). Each pad has an LED indicator, and the hardware comes packed with tons of sounds that can be passed through a number of effects, including 21 master effects, an equalizer, and 40 kit effects. You can also use your own samples as the machine comes with 2GB of internal memory for up to 3 hours of onboard sampling.
What separates the SPD-SX from other pads is its ability to make sampling external audio incredibly easy. Users just have to route a signal through the 1/4” inputs or via USB from a computer and touch a pad at the desired start and end points in order to capture a perfect loop. If you have a turntable, the SPD-SX makes it extremely effortless to sample from vinyl whenever inspiration hits you. These can then be kept on the machine’s memory for use in live gigs, or you can record your performance straight to your computer’s recording software.
The SPD-SX can also be used as a midi controller if you just want to have that hardware feel when triggering samples on your software samplers, drum machines, virtual instruments, and other music programs. Due to the large size of the pads and the inclusion of edge pads, this pad sampler was actually designed to be triggered using drum sticks, although it’s not necessary.
The SPD-SX sells for about USD $799 (approximately Php 33,560). You can visit www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=1177 for more information on this product.
You’re at a store and see a shoe you like. Unfortunately, your last late night drinking session has utterly drained whatever remained of your meager salary and through a series of unfortunate (yet hilarious) series of events, you do not have a credit card. What you do have though, is an Android phone, a Smart account and an app called Shoephoric that allows you to post the shoe you want online to other users and more importantly, make them pay for it using their load. A few rounds of begging/cajoling of your friends later, you now have enough dough to buy the shoe that you like.
This isn’t fiction – the entire scenario above is completely plausible and more importantly, is now a reality, thanks to Smart and the Wholesale Applications Community, more commonly referred to as WAC. WAC in a nutshell, allows seamless interoperability of software, digital products, and services for mobile devices. Smart is one of the members of WAC, which include other operators around the world like AT&T, NTT DOCOMO and SK Telecom. What WAC and by extension, the WAC NAPI enables is in-app operator billing – which is fancy talk for allowing people to pay for goods, services and other things using their mobile load from apps, like the Shoephoric app we mentioned earlier.
What’s nice about WAC is that other operators around the world (that uses it) can use it and send funds through apps like Shoephoric. For example, you had a relative in the US using AT&T and she saw your cry for help in buying shoes. She can then send funds using her AT&T account to help you purchase the shoes that you want, all without going through a separate billing portal. She just clicks and away she goes.
And from what we’ve been hearing from Smart, this is just the beginning. As other devs catch wind and create their apps with the WAC NAPI, the list will start growing. What’s nice about the WAC NAPI is that it allows devs to monetize their apps not just in the Philippines, but across a large swath of operators – code once, deploy everywhere. Soon you’ll be able to buy gadgets, in-game items and almost everything else using your load, without the use of a credit card. Wouldn’t that be just awesome? Check out the screenshots and videos of some more WAC NAPI enabled apps below.
Time to put your game faces on as Gadgets Magazine brings you its Gaming Issue out in stores now! Read up on the latest games available out in the market be it for your PC, console, or phone, and perhaps even get inspired to be play your favorite hero in real life. As our quirky and lovable covergirl Krista Kleiner shares, “If gamers implement the positive feelings given to them when playing and their noble intentions of conquering challenges into their real lives, gaming can help individuals to continue to improve themselves and conquer real life challenges. Also, gaming is a fun way to learn how to trust and cooperate with other people to achieve a goal, which is a great life skill.”
Asus’ tablet offerings are fast blurring together during their time at MWC, with their latest device, the Asus Infinity rounding up their tablet announcements. The Infinity might look similar to the Transformer Prime but it has a few key differences, namely an insanely high resolution 10.1-inch Super IPS+ capacitive multi-touch screen that’s capable of resolutions of 1920 x 1280 and a higher clock speed of 1.6GHz for its Tegra 3 quad-core processor with 1GB RAM. Like the Prime, the Infinity still retains the Transformer line’s iconic detachable keyboard which adds additional battery life to the device should you need it. The device also packs an 8-megapixel camera for imaging, as well as a super slim profile of 8.5mm. Asus says that the Infinity will officially launch at around April, though there’s no word yet on how much this little baby will cost.
At long last, the Asus Padfone is finally, officially released. We first saw the Padfone in the flesh at last year’s COMPUTEX during Asus’ presscon and now it’s finally ready. The heart of the whole concept is a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED equipped smartphone that’s running a dual-core 1.5GHz processor under the hood, along with Android 4.0 (ICS). Imaging-wise, you’re given an 8-megapixel digital camera with a five-element lens that doesn’t skimp on quality, and along with near universal connectivity via Wi-Fi, EDGE/GPRS/GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz and 3G via HSPA+ with 21Mbit/s, 42Mbit/s (optional) DL, 5.76Mbit/s UL means that you’ll almost always have a way to connect to the internet.
Of course, like we saw in COMPUTEX last year, the Padfone isn’t just a phone per se. It can actually dock with a larger, bigger screen – a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) capacitive multi-touch screen to be precise – to transform into a fully fledged tablet. All the computing duties are handled by the smaller smartphone, with the larger screen acting like…well, a larger screen and a bigger 6600mAh that supplements the 1520mAh lithium-ion that’s located on the base unit. Asus also says that any app running on the base device will also continue on the larger screen when you connect it, allowing you to transfer from a small screen to a bigger one without interrupting whatever you’re doing. The device will also be able to use a specialized stylus that not only allows you to write on the tablet with greater precision, but will also act as a Bluetooth bridge of sorts for calls and the like.
Just like their previous tablet devices, the Padfone can also dock with a dedicated keyboard unit, which gives the device better flexibility and hopefully gives the device even better battery life. No word yet on how much this little docking wonder will cost nor when it’ll land, but at least it’s nearing the finish line, right?
Seems like Asus is diversifying their tablet line, and has announced their mid-market offering, the Transformer Pad 300. The Pad 300 features near identical features and specs as its older brother the Transformer Prime with a few key, notable differences – slightly slower clock speed for one (1.2GHz as opposed to 1.3GHz) and the most obvious: it’s made out of plastic. That doesn’t mean that the Transformer Pad 300 isn’t a nice tablet on its own right – a Tegra 3 quad-core processor running at 1.2GHz will trump previous generation dual-cores (though an LTE version of the Pad 300 will be made with a slower, Qualcomm MSM 8960 Snapdragon S4 Krait Dual-core 1.5GHz processor) each and every time, and the 10.1-inch Super IPS+ display is still a pretty damn good screen to be honest. Top that off with Android 4.0 ICS (naturally) and you get a tablet that’s to die for. No word on price and availability is available for the Transformer Pad 300.
No, that number above is not a typo. Nokia’s newest phone, the 808 Pureview has a 41-megapixel camera in the back. 41-megapixels. Talk about making a splash at MWC. Billed as an imaging flagship phone, the 808 PureView runs on Nokia’s Symbian Belle OS powered by a single core 1.3GHz processor and comes with a 4-inch screen with a resolution of 360 x 640 ( nHD). The camera powering this imaging beast is a Carl Zeiss deal that can achieve a 41-megapixel resolution when taking stills. Nokia achieves this particular brand of image wizardry through the use of oversampling, which tech website The Verge describes as “taking seven pixels’ information to fill one pixel in the image, resulting in significantly smaller images as a result.”
While the imaging sensor on this particular device is beyond compare, we’re not quite as excited with the OS of choice – in this case it’s Symbian Belle instead of Windows Phone like their other recent smartphones. Vlad Savov from The Verge managed to nab some face time with the device and has said that “You can notice lag in basic UI navigation and scrolling, which immediately hampers the user experience.” We’ll have to check out the device ourselves if ever it decides to take the hop to our shores. The 808 PureView will retail for about 450 Euros (around Php 26,000) and will hit markets come May.
